Northern NSW covers the coastal fringe from south of Port Macquarie to Tweed Heads, the New England area from Tamworth to Tenterfield and the slopes and plains in the Quirindi, Gunnedah, Warialda and Inverell areas.

This area is one of the fastest growing in country NSW, particularly along the north coast, with many people choosing to retire or relocate for a sea change.

The north coast experiences a large increase in traffic volume during summer as the population in northern NSW increases dramatically with the arrival of tourists visiting our beaches and national parks.

The regional office is in Grafton with other offices at Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Glen Innes and Ballina.

Roads and Maritime Services in northern NSW covers 12.3% of the state with about 10% of the state's population.

Roads and Maritime Services Northern Region manages over $6 billion of assets, including:

• 2600km of State roads.
• 1100 bridges.
• Two tunnels.
• Two vehicular ferries.

Roads and Maritime Services provides funding to 23 local government authorities, who manage 3170km of regional roads within the region.

David Bell commenced at Roads and Maritime Services in 1990, working in Tamworth. As Zone Planner, David developed Roads and Maritime Services' programs in the Tamworth area. In 1997 David became Asset Manager Northern Region, where he was responsible for the management of the region's road network and maintenance.

David studied Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland, worked in government in Queensland and the Northern Territory, including a secondment in Hong Kong prior to joining Roads and Maritime Services.